Expandable shaft



Feb. 26, 1963 H. w. DOUGLAS EXPANDABLE SHAFT Filed may 17, 1960 NN QN 7 Nm wm E Nm ow 6.@ ww vwi QN www f y QW wm, Qm, NQ m N 3,679,102 EXPANDABLE SHAFT Harry W. Douglas, 7779 SW. 4th Ave., Portland, Greg. Filed May 17, 1950, Ser. No. 29,712 2 Ciairns. (Cl. 242-721) l'I'his invention relates to expandable shafts, the effective diameters of which may be increased and diminished alternately as required to t the shafts to various applications.

In the winders and rewinders employed for winding sheets of paper, paper pulp, textiles, rubber, aluminum foil, plastics and the like, it is usual practice to provide a Winder shaft which may be distended to an enlarged diameter after which the sheet material is wound upon it with or without the use of an interposed winding core. After the completed roll has been demounted from the winding apparatus, the shaft is collapsed, removed, and reused in another winding operation While the roll is moved to another location for lfurther processing or storage. v

it is the general purpose of the present invention to provide an expandable shaft useful in the foregoing or similar applications which shaft is positive in its action, durable, free from a tendency toward premature, vibration-induced collapse, easy and fast to apply, adaptable for use with winding cores of non-uniform diameter, and having ya relatively long service life during which but a minimum of maintenance is required.

The manner in which .the foregoing and other objects of the invention are accomplished will be apparent from the accompanying specification and claims considered together' with the accompanying drawings, wher-ein like numerals of reference indicate like parts and wherein:

FIG. l is a foreshortened sectional view of the hereindescribed expandable shaft;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken along lines 2 2 and 3 3, respectively, of FIG. l; and

FIG. 4 is a detail, sectional view of an alternate form of cam follower for use in the expandable shaft of my invention, making it adaptable for use with winding cores of non-uniform diameters.

In general, the expandable shaft of my invention comprises a casing or body having arranged thereon a plurality of longitudinally extending leaves mounted for lateral extension and retraction. Drive means, preferably carn means, are connected to the leaves for alternately extendinfr and retracting them, thereby correspondingly increasing and shrinking the diameter of the shaft. Releasable locking means also are provided for releasably locking `the shaft in its expanded position, thereby insuring against premature collapse.

As will be seen from the drawings, the expandable shaft of my invention includes an elongated body or casing 1t) which in a typical case may be from 4 to l2 feet in length. The casing is formed with a plurality of radially spaced openings 12, preferably provided in longitudinally spaced groups, the spacing of which may be at any desirable intervals such as, for example, from 9 to l2 inches.

A plurality of longitudinally extending leaves 14 are arranged about the casing. In FIG. 3, there are shown three such leaves of arcuate contour, each substending an angle of approximately 120 and forming a substantially continuous shell about the casing.

The leaves are secured to the casing by means of button-shaped members 16 arranged in longitudinally spaced groups, the members of which are spaced radially to correspond to the spacing of openings 12 through the casing. The bodies of these members are riveted to the leaves, extend .through the openings, and are provided 3,079,102 Patented Feb. 26, 1953 fice with heads `of enlarged ycross section so that they can not be retracted through the openings. As will appear later, the heads of the leaf fastening members serve the further important function of acting as cam followers for extending and retracting the leaves in a lateral direction.

The end of a Huid operated cylinder 18 is threaded into the front end of casing 10 and houses a front bushing Ztl. The rear` end of the casing is closed off by a second bushing 22.

The outer surface of cylin-der 13 acts as a journal, as does the outer surface of `the rearwardly extending portion of casing lll and the aligned, flush surface of bushing 22 (FIG. 1). Accordingly the shaft may be mounted conveniently in the usual Winder installation.

Cylinder 13 preferably is a pneumatic cylinder provided with a front cylinder head 24 and a rear cylinder head 26. The front cylinder head is maintained in position by retaining ring 2S and is maintained in sealing engagement with the inside wall of the cylinder and piston rod by means of O-rings 30, 32. A threaded inlet port 34 permits the introduction of fluid pressure. Rear cylinder head 26 is provided with O-ring 36, the entire cylinder thus being sealed off to permit workingv of piston 38.

The latter member is sealed by means of 0-rings 4t), 42. It is fixed to a piston rod 44 by abutting it against a shoulder 46 in the latter and releasably locking it in position with a retaining ring 4S. The piston rod is provided with a passageway 5t), the outer segment 52 of which is threaded and the inner segment 54 of which communicates with the space within the cylinder head of piston 38.

Preferablyformed as an integral, extension ofpiston rod d4 is an elongated rod 5'6 which extends substantially the full length of casing 1t) and which reciprocates in bushings 20, 22. Rod 56 is formed with spaced, annular grooves 58 which merge with cam area 6d and lands 62. Cam means thus is afforded for driving the buttonshaped heads of cam followers 16 which work in openings 12 and cause lateral extension and retraction of leaves 14.

Means also are provided for releasably locking rod 56 in its advanced position wherein leaves 14 are extended.

D ln the illustrated form of the invention, such means include an annular groove 64 about the inner end of rod 56 opposite forward bushing 20. A spring pressed ball 66 is housed in this bushing and releasably seats in the groove. Thus the shafts may be prevented from inadvertent collapse caused by vibration of the Winder in which it is used.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 4, a button-shaped connector 70` is shown which is analogous in function to connectors 16 of FIGS. 1 3. However, it is formed with an axial recess which houses a springpressed ball 72. The latter bears against cam area 60 and land 62 of rod 56. This adapts the shaft for use with winding cores of non-uniform diameter. It also minimizes wear on the relatively movable parts of the assembly.

Operation In operation, air or other fluid under pressure is connected to the threaded section of port 34. This drives piston 38, piston rod 44, and the integral cam drive rod 56 forwardly, i.e. to the right as viewed in FIG. l. Movement of rod 56 in this direction elevates cam followers 16 and extends leaves 14 so that the effective diameter of the shaft is materially increased, as is evident in FIG. 3.

The shaft is journaled in a Winder and the end of the paper or other sheet material to be wound aixed to it,

with or without the interposition of an intermediate spool.

After the roll has beeny wound, the roll and shaft' are removed together fromY the Winder.v Air under pressure then is connected to the threaded end of passageway 50, retracting piston 38, i.e. driving it toward the left as viewed FIG. 1. This` simultaneously retracts rod 56 so' that` the button-shaped heads of cam followers 16 grav-itate into' grooves '5S'. This collapses-leaves 14 and reduces the eiective'diameter of the shaft so that it may beI removed readily' from the' roll and returned to another' cycle ofi operation or; they Winder;

ItisE to heunderstood that. theV form. of my invention herein shownand described is to be. takeni as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size andi arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing from? the' spiritl of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims,

Havinglthusl described my invention, If claim:

1. A portable, power' expandable shaft comprising. a hollow4 casing having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings! therein;` a plurality of leaves: longitudinallly disposed relative tothe casing', a plurality? of cam followers secured at one of their ends to saidA leaves and projecting freelfy through the openings ini the easing, aile'ad portion on theother end of the cam followershavingA a tranverse dimensionl greater thanV the transverse dimension oftheopeningsfor connecting the leaves to the casing; the lengthA ofthe' cam'Y followers being' greater than the thickness of the casing to permit radial` expand'- ng movement of the leaves relative tov the casing, an elongated rod having at least one' spaced, annular, tapered' groove on` its circumferential: surfacey adjacent the openings inthe oasingand forming cam surfaces, the surfacel of the r'od adjacent the groove being parallel to the axisy of rotation of? *thel rod and dening a cam follower seat, said rodi being-mounted freely in the casing for longitudinal movement between a set retracted'- positlion' inf whichl the head portions seat. in the groove, to

retract the leaves and'- a set extended position in which the head portions rest on said seat to expand the leaves, journal portions on each end of the casing for detachable connection of the shaft to a winding apparatus, one of the journal portions being hollow and forming in its interior a uid cylinder, a piston operable in the cylinder, a pair of fluid line connections leading to opposite sides of the piston and adapted for connection to a source of liuiid under pressure for reciprocating the piston, and an end extension on the rod secured to the piston whereby the rod is movable by the piston between its retracted and extended positions.

2, The expandable shaft of claimV 1 wherein the cylinder has .an end Wall incorporating one of the lluid line connections for supplying uid to one side of the piston, and the end extension on the rod incorporates the other nid line connection.

References Cited in the iile of this'patent UNXTED STATES PATENTS 459,200 Farnsworth Sept. 8, 189'1 1,068,291 Wueb'oenherstv July 22, 1913 1,192,063 Hoberg Iuly 25, 1916 1,545,362 Strom July 7, 1925 1,658,799`- De`V0`gel Feb. 14 1928 2,204,475 Crandall June 11, 1940 2,241,669" McConnell ,.n..- May 31,l 1941 2,352,580 Wettenge'l Tune 27, 1,944 2,394,504 Schroeder Feb. 5, 1946 2,556,149' Talbot June 5, 1951 2,598,398 Littell etal May 27, 1952 2,616,633 Reynolds Nov. 4,` 1952 2,705,111' Bruestle Mar. 29, 1955 2,727,700 Van Colle et al; Dec. 20, 1955 2,880,661 Kaden et al. Apr. 7 1959 2,890,001v Triquet lune 9, 1959 COZZO rf'"-',"1r,.rv.\l/: 

1. A PORTABLE, POWER EXPANDABLE SHAFT COMPRISING A HOLLOW CASING HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED OPENINGS THEREIN, A PLURALITY OF LEAVES LONGITUDINALLY DISPOSED RELATIVE TO THE CASING, A PLURALITY OF CAM FOLLOWERS SECURED AT ONE OF THEIR ENDS TO SAID LEAVES AND PROJECTING FREELY THROUGH THE OPENINGS IN THE CASING, A HEAD PORTION ON THE OTHER END OF THE CAM FOLLOWERS HAVING A TRANVERSE DIMENSION GREATER THAN THE TRANSVERSE DIMENSION OF THE OPENINGS FOR CONNECTING THE LEAVES TO THE CASING, THE LENGTH OF THE CAM FOLLOWERS BEING GREATER THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE CASING TO PERMIT RADIAL EXPANDING MOVEMENT OF THE LEAVES RELATIVE TO THE CASING, AN ELONGATED ROD HAVING AT LEAST ONE SPACED, ANNULAR, TAPERED GROOVE ON ITS CIRCUMFERENTIAL SURFACE ADJACENT THE OPENINGS IN THE CASING AND FORMING CAM SURFACES, THE SURFACE OF THE ROD ADJACENT THE GROOVE BEING PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE ROD AND DEFINING A CAM FOLLOWER SEAT, SAID ROD BEING MOUNTED FREELY IN THE CASING FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN A SET RETRACTED POSITION IN WHICH THE HEAD PORTIONS SEAT IN THE GROOVE TO RETRACT THE LEAVES AND A SET EXTENDED POSITION IN WHICH 